Hinged doors are widely used in virtually every commercial and residential building. They are typically opened by a doorknob positioned along the side of the door opposite to the hinges. One example of is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,533, titled “Door Stopping Device,” issued to Wang Kuang-Pin on Jan. 30, 1998, which is incorporated by reference.
Various methods have been used to hold these hinged doors in an open position. The mentioned patent, for example, attaches a swinging leg with a rubber foot to the bottom of the door. When this leg is swung to the upper position, it does not interfere with the normal opening and closing of the door. When the leg is swung to the lower position, it prevents the door from closing. The operation and construction of this device are further detailed in the mentioned patent and illustrated in FIGS. 3–16. One disadvantage of this design is that it requires the apparatus to be attached to the door. This detracts from the overall appearance of the door. And, with time and use, the stress and strain applied by the apparatus can damage the door.
Another common method of holding a swinging door in an open position uses a simple hook and latch mechanism. A hook is attached to the bottom corner of the door and a corresponding latch is attached to the wall. When the door is in the fully open position, the hook engages the latch to hold it open. Like the above-mentioned design, however, the addition of a hook or latch on the bottom corner of the door detracts from its overall appearance and with use can damage the door.